Cartridge-carrying jacket



(No Model.)

s. A. DAY. CARTRIDGE CARRYING JAGKET.

No. 262,577. Patented Aug. 154, 1882.

N. PETERS. Fhomumo m her. Washington D. (L

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SELDEN A. DAY, OF BOWLING GREEN, OHIO,

CARTRIDGE-CARRYING JACKET.

SYECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 262,577, dated August15, 1882.

Application filed February 11, isse.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, SELDEN A. DAY, of Bowling Green, in the county ofWood and State of Ohio, have invented certain Improvements inCartridge-Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in a reversible cartridgercarryingjacketofpeculiar construction adapted to be worn upon the body, or folded andapplied after the manner of saddle-bags to a saddle in case of mountedmen, and also designed to be used in some cases as a lifepreserver.

In the accompanyingdrawings,Figure 1 represents aface view of myimproved jacket unbuckled and laid out flat to show its form andconstruction; Fig. 2, a view of the same as it appears in ordinary use;Fig. 3, a View showing the jacket folded for hanging upon a saddle; andFig. 4, a view showing it applied to a saddle.

The object of my invention is to enable soldiers and sportsmen to carrya supply of ammunition sufficient to render available all the advantagesdue to the rapid firing of modern firearms, and to so distribute theweight of the ammunition that it shall not inconvenience or annoy thesoldier or the sportsman carrying it. It is also desirable to adapt thejacket to convenient use on horseback and to relieve the user entirelyof its weight when mounted.

With these ends in view I construct my improved jacket, as shown in thedrawings, in which A represents the body of the jacket, of substantiallyrectangular form when straightened out, with an oblong central opening,B, to permit it to be passed over the head of the wearer, and providedon its opposite edges, respectively, with straps G and buckles D, bywhich the front half, a, and back half, I), may be united at the sidesand below the arms of the wearer, as indicated in Fig. 2. A seam at theunion of the two halves or sections gives the proper curvature or formto fit the shoulders, the meeting edges being cut in a curved or slopingform for that purpose, as indicated. Both sec tions at and b areprovided with pockets E, which are grouped on opposite sides of a line,:11, running longitudinally through the middle of the jacket, as shownin Fig. 1. It will be seen that (No model.)

with the pockets thus arranged the jacket or vest may be folded eitherlongitudinally or transversely through its middle. When used as a jacketit is folded transversely, as indicated in Fig. 2, hanging upon theshoulders and down the front and back of the wearer. When the pockets ofthat side which is at the time in front become exhausted the jacket isreversed, and the side which had previously been at the back is broughtto the fronta change involving very little trouble or delay andafiording a second supply equal to the entire quantity usually carriedby otherjackets. When it is desired to hang the jacket upon or over asaddle it is folded lengthwise through the middle and hung as shown inFig. 4, either in front or in rear of the seat, the straps 0 beingbuckled around the V-straps F to retain the garment or article inposition. When thus arranged, it will be seen, the pockets are withineasy reach of the rider. It will also be seen that by reversing it sidefor side all the pockets may be drawn from successively.

Buttons or clasps may obviously be substituted for the straps andbuckles, though the latter are preferred.

In some cases the pockets maybe filled with cork, packages of deershair, or other light water-repellent material, and the jacket thus madeto serve as a life-preservera possible use that will be appreciated bysportsmen and others.

In order to render the jacket more buoyant and to protect the shouldersagainst the gun both in carrying and in firing the same, the portionforming the shoulder of the jacket, or that portion included between thelines 3 y, is padded with deers hair or analogous waterrepellentmaterial.

The jacket may be made of various materials, though water-repellentcanvas, light leather, or a combination of the two is preferred.

The pockets are preferably stitched to the front of the garment and madeof convenient form and dimensions to contain the cartridges either in avertical or a norizontalpositiomin packages or in the detachablemagazines now used with certain fire-arms. They will usually be made ofleather, and may be either stiff or flexible, as desired.

It will be seen that, if desired, other forms of cartridge pockets orholders may be applied to the jacket.

Loops'c are provided, through which the straps are passed when thegarment is folded, as in Fig. 3.

I am aware that a reversible vest having cartridge-pockets both on thefront and back has before been used, and this I do not broadly claim.

I am aware that alife-preserver made in the form of ajacket has beenpadded with buoyant material, and this 1 do not claim. I am not,however, aware that a jacket furnished with pockets adapted to receivecartridges has also been padded with buoyant material, whereby it isadapted to serve as a lifepreserver and to overcome the sinking efl'ectof the cartridges.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1.Theherein-described cartridge-jacket,con- SistiDgOf the front and backsections,a b, provided with pockets E, united at the shoulders andseparable at the sides below the arms, substantially as described andshown.

2. A reversible cartridge-jacket consisting of the sections a I),provided with pockets E and united by shoulder-pieces, but separable atthe sides, asexplained, whereby it is adapted to be straightened out tothe full length of the two sections and folded longitudinally throughthe middle, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A cartridge-jacket separable at the sides below the arm -openin gs,substantially as shown and described, and having pockets E, grouped onopposite sides of a line passing longitudinally through the middle,whereby thejacket is adapted to be folded to hang upon a saddle, asexplained.

4. The herein-described jacket,provided with pockets E, adapted toreceive cartridges, and padded with buoyant material, whereby it isadapted to serve both as a cartridgecarrier and a life-preserver.

5. The jacket A, separable beneath the arms at each side, provided withpockets E, and furnished with straps and buckles O 1), applied at thesides, as shown, whereby theyare adapted to hold the garment in placeeither upon the body or upon the saddle, as explained.

SELDEN A. DAY.

Witnesses HUGH SIEBERG, Gno. R. LESLIE.

